AD consistent on divorce since 1989

­Alternattiva Demokratika deputy chairman Yvonne Arqueros Ebejer said the green party had been consistently in favour of divorce since its foundation in 1989.

“It has done so because it believes that in a secular and pluralistic society civil rights should be guaranteed. The plain truth is that some marriages fail and we have to be sensitive towards the emotional and financial stress many individuals have to endure because of lack of such legislation,” Ms Arqueros Ebejer said.

Should a referendum take place, she said “the wording of the question should be loyal to the responsible type of divorce being proposed in Malta. No one is proposing a Las Vegas type of divorce and we disagree with the manoeuvring taking place against a clear referendum question for a responsible divorce based on the Irish model”.

AD chairman Michael Briguglio presented a team of 17 spokesmen, five of them women. These, he said, were updating AD’s policies “and are active in spheres such as the Malta EU-Steering and Action Committee (Meusac) and other consultative fora. It is clear AD is Malta’s only progressive party,” Mr Briguglio said.

The new team consists of: Arnold Cassola – EU and international affairs; Mario Mallia – education; Ralph Cassar - industry, energy and transport; Mr Briguglio – economy and finance; Carmel Cacopardo – sustainable development and local government; Simon Galea - agriculture and animal welfare; Richard Schranz- consumer rights and the elderly; Ms Arqueros Ebejer – civil rights; Henrik Piski – communications and IT; Nighat Urpani – social development and health; Dirk Urpani – sports and youth; Miriam Cassar – culture; Angele Deguara – social policy; Claire Azzopardi Lane – disability issues; Robert Callus – migration and citizenship; David Friggieri – justice and home affairs and Andrè Vella – community development.